Handle



Nov. 1-1 1924. 1,515,291

M. WHITE HANDLE Filed June 6, 1924 I 31A/vento@ abtozmg Patented Nov. 1l, 1924.

MORRIS WHITE, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

HANDLE.

Application led June 6,

To c/,ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MORRIS VHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Handles, of which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention rela-tes to improvements in handles or straps for bags, particularly those adapted for ladies use, such as handbags, pocketbooks, and under-the-arm bags, although it will be apparent that the invention may be applied to many other types of devices.

The object of the invention is the provision of a strap or handle which may be eX- tended upwardly from the bag to accommodate the hand, and which may be easily ln'ought down flat against the bag with practically no effort, or which may even return itself automatically to the flat position when the hand of the person carrying the bag is removed from beneath the strap or handle.

)in exemplary embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a handbag having my improved handle attached thereto:

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through one of the straps of the handle; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective, partly exploded view of one of the strap members.

`Referring to these figures of the drawings, l designates a bag to which my im` proved handle is attached, and such bag may have the usual body portion la, flap cover lb, and snap fastener lc, and when my improved handle is used with such a device `it is preferably attached to the top surface of the upper part of the Hap, as shown in Fig.y l. The two straps of the handle are attached at their outer ends 2 to the bag in any suitable manner, and preferably by the usual stitching (not shown). Each strap is made up of a somewhat stiff fabric 3, and I prefer to make this of a compound layer of paper board and scrim cemented thereto, but it will be quite obvious that any other suitable stiifening and strengthening member may be used. This stiifening and strengthening member is covered by a layer of material 4 having a finished and pleasing appearance, and the end of the strap, which is 1924. Serial No. 718,248.

stitched or otherwise attached to the bag, may be shaped in a pleasing manner, as for example, by tapering it out to a point. The covering material 4 is cut as at 5 and 6 for a reason to be referred to later, the out eritending from each edge of the covering material l to the edges of the stiffening member 8. A Ushaped buckledike retaining member 7 orlink is attached to thev inner end of each strap by folding the inner end thereof over a rod 8 which connects the ends of the U-shaped member and this rod 8 is preferably swiveled therein. The members 7 and 8 are made of metal of a pleasing appearance, and the ends of the member 7 may be enlarged as at 9, these being perforated to accommodate the headed rod 8 made of the same metal. After insertion of the rod 8 through the perforations the unheaded ends may be hammered down with a suitable instrument to prevent the rod 8 from falling out of these perforations, the U-shaped member 7 and the rod 8 being preferably so assembled that the U-shaped member may turn freely on this rod without becoming detached therefrom.

The inner end lO of the strap is bent around the rod 8 after the cut ends 11 of the covering material have been turned up, as shown in Fig. 3; and thisend 10 which has been bent around the rod 8 is then laid flat upon the main portion of the strap, where upon the iiaps l1 are laid flat thereupon and adhesively attached thereto in order to give a pleasing appearance.

The handle comprises two like parts, each part comprising a strap member attached at one end to the article and having a buckle-like retaining member or link at its other end, and the strap member of each handle part passes through the retaining member of the other strap, as shown at 12 on Fig. 1. v y

The points of attachment of the handle to the bag are spaced from each other a distance less than the total length of the two straps in order that the handle may be raised away from the bag, as shown in Fig. l, where the handle is in a more or less intermediat-ely raised position.

Each of the U-shaped members 7 has such width and depth that the strap of the other half of the handle can move freely therein, without, however, making any of these parts unsightly; and I prefer the inner d ll surface oit the member 7 to be oit smooth metal as an aid to the ree movement ot the strap therein.

The stiffness oit the strap members and their freedom in passing tl'irough the U- shaped member of the other halt ot the hf dle may be such that the handle will remain in any position nntil given a slight touoh, whereupon it Will Yfall against the bag; or this relation may bY .such that on removal olf the hand from beneath the handle, such handle Will automatical-lig7 tall flat against the bag.

ltis:` apparent that the two strap members ot the handle 'will remain in substantial parallelism to each other, at least those parts thereof that are between the members i' T. except at the extreme raised position of the handle Where the two strap members are permitted to and do assume an angular relation toward each other.

lglaring deserik d mi; inrentior Claim asncn' and de 'e to secure by Letter,l Patent oli the United is:

l. ln conlbinatimi an and a handle therefor, said handle comprising' two similar parts, each part comprising` a strap member and a link at one end thereof, each strap member passing' through the linlr oi' the other. the straps and the linlr, being so proportioned that each strap passes freelyv the]'ethrer-.nli` earh strap being' elasticall)7 flexible and haring' stillness and tending` to assume a ',n'edetfrmined contour, whereby the handle has a tendencyv assume position closely adjacent the arlce, the other end ot'each strap member beii attached to the article the points ot' attach ient heing spaced 'trom each other a distance less that the sum ot the long "hs o'l botlistnxapsT the lengths and ness 'ott thc straps, their freedom ot passa ge throne-h the links, and the distance betr-reen the 1 oint-s of attach-- ment ot the straps to the article being in such relation to each other that when the handle is raised from the article for use the two parts oit said handle will have a tendency to ren'iain. in such angular relation towarffl each other that 'they will not jam against each other until substantiallj)7 the outermost raised position reached, at which point the two straps assume such an angle each toward the other at their' link eiids that theyv jam.

.ln combination, an article and a handle therefor said handle comprising` two sin' ilar parts j` each part comprising' a strap 1 `mlier haring` a loop therein, a rod in said loop, a U-sjhaped buckle-like member swivelled on said rod, one end of each strap member beine' attached to the article, the points ot attachment heine' iaced 'from each other a distance less than the sum of the lengths olj both strapsr` each strap passing' treel),Y between the U-shaped member and the strap r the other part, each strap being` flexible having' rio'idity with relation to the treed in oi, through thc buckle-lili@ member,

ln combination an article and a han (lle therefor? .said handle comprising` tiro similar parts7 each part comprising a strap i folded over at its end to torni a in` it loop round smooth metal rod loop. a, smooth lul-shaped metal te member swivelled on said rod of each strap member being atto the artiffleu the points of attach- 1 being; spared trom each other a disn l ss than the sum ot the length; ol' V,ach strap passing freely la .finned member and the strap nach strap being; 'tlexihlr -v with relation to the Treo 

